Dracula Untold Blu-ray ReviewMar 03 2015 01:15 AMDracula Untold games its thrones on Blu-ray with an edition that presents this leaden reboot of the Dracula franchise in solid high definition, with an army... Read More

I've seen Jane Campion's 1993 movie, The Piano many times, including theatrically, on LaserDisc and on DVD. In all cases, the Maori dialogue and much of Holly Hunter's sign language was subtitled. On the new Blu Ray version, however, none of these scenes are subtitled. There are two possibilities: 1) The subtitles are missing and the disc is flawed or 2) The subtitles were never intended to be there but were added by Miramax for the American release. I know, back in the day, Miramax would quite often make modifications to their foreign acquisitions before releasing them in the U.S., so it's entirely possible that was the case and the Blu Ray is finally presenting the film sans subtitles, as Jane Campion originally intended. Since communication barriers are a major theme of the film, the lack of subtitles certainly makes artistic sense. Does anyone know the answer?

The script is online, and indicates where subtitles are used. (Whether this is the original script, or someone's transcription from a prior DVD, I don't know): http://www.imsdb.com...Piano,-The.html I haven't looked at the disc, but it does have English and Spanish subtitles. Maybe you need to turn them on?

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did." T.E. Lawrence

The movie works without subtitles, which is why I'm wondering if they were part of the original design or if they were the text equivalent of the Blade Runner voice over, mandated by a studio that was afraid the audience wouldn't "get it."

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did." T.E. Lawrence